"No" means "No"... or does it?

So, I have a book--from the American Society of Pediatrics--and it says that by the end of his seventh month (that's in 11 days), Grant should start to understand the word "no." I know that Grant understands lots of words. He understands and uses his favorite word: da da. And he knows how to wave goodbye and hello (never on command mind you...), and he understands the word "up" as he lifts his arms into the air to be picked up.

But the word "no"? I think not.

I think he thinks the word "no" means "try again several times" or it's code for "make Mommy crazy time." I can say it with a serious voice. I can pull his hand away from the object. I can say it 15 times. None of that matters. Grant keeps trying and trying and trying. To eat a leaf. To pull my hair. To grab the remote.

Sometimes, I think he knows exactly what it means, and he's just smarter than me. Other times, when he looks up at me with those big, brown eyes, I think he's just not quite there yet.

He does have quite a will which has started to rear its head. If you take away a toy, a bottle in use, a food item, he starts to grunt, to moan, and to whine. I don't like kids who whine, so we'll have to get that squared away as soon as he learns the word "no." My friend informed me that her seven-year-old son still doesn't understand the word "no," so I've decided that in the next month English teacher mama is going to bring out the flash cards.

Here's a picture of the drool king. The nursery workers at church said something again about his oral fixation with all toys, so I'm going to send him with spray toy cleaner next week (not kidding).